Rapid detection of Staphylococcus aureus by a multiplex PCR assay

Objective To establish a multiplex PCR method for identifying Staphylococcus aureus and to study the distribution of thermonuclease genes in foodborne Staphylococcus aureus.Methods Three primers were designed for detecting nuc,nucA and 16S rDNA genes.The specificities of three primers were tested by single PCR method and sequencing.The specificity and sensitivity of the multiplex PCR method were tested.Results The specificities of three primers met the test requirement.The specificity met the test requirement,and the detection limits for DNA template were 100 cfu/μl.All the Staphylococcus aureus strains had nuc and nucA genes.Conclusion The multiplex PCR method is fast,specific,rigorous,sensitive and can be used for identifying a large number of Staphylococcus aureus strains simultaneously.